Dr. Francis Kuria has dedicated more than 20 years of his life to fostering lasting peace through interreligious dialogue and action at grassroots, national, regional, and global levels. He currently holds the dual roles of Secretary General of Religions for Peace International and its regional affiliate, the African Council of Religious Leaders-Religions for Peace (ACRL-RfP). Additionally, he serves as the chair of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

As Secretary General of Religions for Peace, Dr. Kuria guides and supports over 90 Interreligious Councils (IRCs) worldwide. His leadership emphasizes the importance of convening youth, women, indigenous, and religious leaders, alongside other societal actors, to achieve shared human flourishing rooted in the sacred.

In his capacity as Regional Secretary General of ACRL, a position he has held for over a decade, Dr. Kuria has played a pivotal role in the success of 16 IRCs in the African Commonwealth. He has established, equipped, and strengthened numerous IRCs across Africa, including those in Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania. Under his guidance, ACRL has become the largest and most representative multireligious platform in Africa, comprising five sub-regional hubs, over 30 national IRCs, and hundreds of local IRCs, as well as the African Women of Faith Network (AWFN) and the African Interfaith Youth Network (AIYN).

Prior to his current roles, Dr. Kuria served the Interreligious Council in Kenya (IRCK) for 19 years, first as Programs Director and then as Executive Director. He transformed IRCK from an ad-hoc committee into a structured organization with a full programmatic staff and regular activities. Notable initiatives include the Task Force on Health and Children and the Task Force on Governance, Peace, and Economic Justice. He was instrumental in establishing Kenya’s Women of Faith Network (WoF) and Interfaith Youth Committee (IYC) and creating numerous grassroots interfaith networks.

Dr. Kuria’s early successes at IRCK include the Faith for Life project with UNICEF, featuring the Malezi Bora campaign in 2008 and the development of the Faith for Life Handbook in 2010. The Malezi Bora campaign aimed to improve women’s and children’s health by reducing violence and providing psychosocial support and spiritual counseling to refugees. The Faith for Life Handbook, a training manual for religious leaders, reached over 3 million people in Kenya and has been adapted globally.

He played a critical role in combatting the recruitment of child soldiers in northeastern Kenya, empowering religious leaders and the WoF network to counter violent extremism. Under his ACRL leadership, he has institutionalized the work of AWFN and AIYN, ensuring gender parity and building leadership capacities. He has launched programs addressing women’s property rights and peacebuilding in conflict zones like South Sudan.

Dr. Kuria prioritizes intergenerational dialogues on peacebuilding, exemplified by the Intergenerational Conference on Faith and Diplomacy in Lindau, Germany, in 2021, and the Manresa 2022 Global Pact. He launched the annual Africa High-level Faith Leaders’ Forum on Peace, Security, and Environment in 2022, addressing violence in the Sahel.

In his first year as RfP Secretary General, he has launched new IRCs in Eswatini and The Gambia, strengthened existing IRCs in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, and reinforced RfP’s international partnerships. He played a pivotal role in defeating the repeal of the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia, convening Muslim and Christian leaders to protect girls’ rights. He also facilitated significant peacebuilding efforts at the Tokyo Peace Roundtable in June 2024.

Before his work in interreligious dialogue, Dr. Kuria served as a National Staff Officer in the Cadets and volunteered for 16 years with the St. John Ambulance Brigade, rising to Assistant Commissioner, Training and Operations. He was a first responder to the 1998 US Embassy bombing in Nairobi.

Dr. Kuria’s extensive background includes roles as a Financial Analyst at Financial Communications Limited and National Coordinator for the Small Business Network. His diverse experience and unwavering commitment to peace and service underscore his profound impact on global communities.